How old should kindergarteners be?

Read this article from the Raleigh News & Observer to get an interesting snapshot of the debate over whether four-year-olds are ready for kindergarten.

Progressive public policy advocates have long worked for earlier educational opportunities for at-risk kids. North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley has made his "More At Four" program a centerpiece of his tenure.

But now some progressives fear that some at-risk kids are entering school too early and falling permanently behind due to their immaturity. Not a lot of research supports that hunch, so it remains to be seen whether Southern educational policy begins to reflect this new idea or not.